Sierra Leone: VP quarantines self over Ebola fears

Freetown, Sierra Leone (PANA) - The Sierra Leonean Vice President, Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana, has announced that he will be in quarantine over Ebola fears, following the death of one of his security details.

In a speech to the nation on Saturday, Sam-Sumana said that a member of his security team died on 24 February and laboratory tests had confirmed that the cause of death was the Ebola Virus Disease.

While wishing the family of his departed worker his sincere condolences, Sam-Sumana said "In recognition of the importance of always following the standard operating procedures, I will be in quarantine at my residence for 21 days."

He said: "the home of the diseased has been disinfected and quarantined. All other potential contacts of the diseased are being identified and monitored to avoid any further spread of the disease. The process of disinfecting my offices where the diseased worked has begun and my offices will be closed until that exercise is completed."

"Other members of my team who have been listed as contacts will also be under quarantine. We will all be closely monitored by tracers during this period.

"I am aware that lapses occurred which resulted in this exposure. I am also aware that there was large number of other contacts who visited the home of the deceased on the day of his demise. I am appealing to all those people to come forward and work with the surveillance team."

Vice President Sam-Sumana declared "I wish to assure you all that I am currently fit and well and I am expected to return to my duties at the end of this period.

"I hope my decision serves to underline the importance of adhering to medical advice in relation to Ebola in our country. This virus has affected thousands of our people and has nearly brought our country to its knees," he said.

"We all have a collective responsibility to break the chains of transmission by Isolating the sick and reporting all known contacts by not touching the dead and by ensuring that all burials are conducted by the burial teams. We must work together as a nation to end Ebola."

PANA reports that the Government of Sierra Leone recently imposed new restrictions on movement of vehicles and people across the country, following a spike in the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the last two weeks.
-0- PANA SBA/VAO 28Feb2015